Bearing arrangements for shafts and driveshafts in automatic transmissions are known from automotive technology. Usually, for example when a torque converter is used, the driveshaft is mounted on the transmission input side by means of a radial bearing in a guide-wheel shaft. In known bearing arrangements, on the side remote from the motor or the torque converter a radial bearing is also provided, by means of which the driveshaft is supported in the transmission housing. In this type of mounting the driveshaft is secured in the axial direction by abutments in the form of steps on the shaft, these steps being in contact with axially fixed structural elements that run at least without any rotational speed difference.
Now, to incorporate in the automatic transmission a largely fitting-space-neutral shifting element, for example a claw shifting element, it is provided that an actuating piston for the shifting element is arranged centrally inside the driveshaft. The actuating piston is acted upon with pressure medium or oil, and can when necessary be moved axially against the force of a restoring spring. On the actuating piston are provided a plurality of drive-pins, which project radially through openings in the driveshaft and correspondingly actuate the shifting claw of the claw shifting elements.